I wasn’t sure I’d even make it out this week. With a house full of sick people, I was convinced it was only a matter of time before I went down with it myself. Thankfully, I stayed well enough to take a chance and load the car.
With Monday night forecast as a washout, I had to think carefully about venue choice. Meadow Lake was ruled out straight away, leaving the club lake as the best option—despite fallen trees, closed swims, and water levels sitting right on the edge of flooding. As it turned out, those closed swims worked in my favour, giving me more space and less pressure.
In this session I talk through my approach on a shallow, bait-boat-dominated lake, why I avoid spombing here, and how my simple “chuck-and-dump” baiting strategy helps keep the carp confident. Three spots, three hookbaits, steady pressure, and classic winter conditions set the scene.
Mid-afternoon, the right-hand rod tore off and resulted in a hard-fighting 21lb 3oz common—a result I genuinely didn’t expect given how quiet the lake felt afterward. Silent nights, dropping temperatures, and tricky conditions followed, making that early bite feel even more special. A realistic winter session: one chance, one fish, and plenty of lessons.
With February approaching and daylight stretching out, I’m hopeful things will soon start to turn.
I would like to give a brief snap shot of my life and introduce myself;
My name is Richard Handel and was born in 1965 in Suffolk. I have worked as a UK Operation & Intermodule Manager for a shipping company. I live in Hampshire now and am married with 2 young children, both girls so I am a bit outnumbered even the cat is a girl!
I have been fishing since I was about 7 years old. I started on small local rivers in Suffolk, then moved onto gravel pits and then carp fishing. My personal best is a 39.08 mirror, over recent years I have started river fishing again, on the Hampshire Avon, this is a nice break from the carp lakes.
My life has turned a big corner this year, the company I was working for relocated their Operation centre to Estonia. I was offered a job at the head office in London. This would have meant a 5 day commute and working in Stratford. As a family, we did not fancy this, as I would hardly spend any time with the children (and the Mrs). So after 22.5 years, I was given a nice redundancy package and with my wife is working full time. I became the house husband.
This has meant a complete turn around in my fishing, as I can pick and choose when I go. I have found a splendid new syndicate to fish this year, which includes 5 lakes and some 8 miles of river with only 150 members. It's an amazing change to the way I am able to fish.
I am now trying to start my own tackle business and make a bit of a name for myself in the world of fishing, as I have retired from real work.
Richard
UK Carp & Coarse Fishing 